Fluidic-fuel-metering system

ABSTRACT

A novel carburetor arrangement for metering fuel to form a fuelair mixture for delivery to a spark ignition engine which provides a single fuel-metering system for all engine operating conditions including idling as well as full load conditions. The preferred system features a unique combination of a fluid amplifier with a vortex amplifier for metering liquid fuel and discharging same into the airflow thereby converting an airstream into a uniform fuel-air mixture of substantially constant ratio of fuel-to-air for delivery to the engine.



1. A carburetor for an internal combustion engine comprising: a. an airflow means having a venturi disposed therein capable of generating a first signal pressure region and a second signal pressure region adjacent said venturi in air flowing therethrough, b. a throttle valve disposed in said airflow means for selectively controlling the rate of air flowing therethrough, c. a vortex device having a cylindrically shaped vortex chamber positioned to divert at least a portion of the air-flowing in said airflow means through said chamber in bypass relation, d. means for urging the air in said vortex chamber into a rotatory movement in one direction, e. fuel discharge means for discharging fuel into said vortex chamber positioned to retard the rate of rotatory movement of said air therein, f. a proportional fluid amplifier controlled by the integrated pressure values in said first and second signal pressure regions with reference to atmospheric pressure values positioned to deliver and regulate the flow of fuel into said fuel discharge means whereby an enriched fuel-air mixture is formed in said vortex chamber which mixture is discharged downstream into the remaining portion of said airflow in said airflow means thereby forming a uniform fuel-air mixture having a predetermined ratio of fuel-toair for delivery to said engine.
 2. A carburetor for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 wherein the vortex device includes a shroud extending into said vortex chamber positioned to conduct therethrOugh a portion of the air flowing is said airflow means in bypass relation with respect to the air in rotatory movement in said vortex chamber.
 3. A carburetor for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 wherein the means for urging the air in said vortex chamber into rotatory movement comprises at least one air discharge nozzle communicatively connected through a passage to said airflow means, said nozzle being positioned to discharge a minor flow of air from said airflow means to impart a tangential force to the air in said vortex chamber thereby imparting a rotatory movement in a vortex pattern to the air in said vortex chamber in said one direction.
 4. A carburetor for an internal combustion engine according to claim 3 wherein said airflow means includes an airscoop communicatively connected to said air discharge nozzle whereby the pressure of air discharging from said nozzle is increased thereby increasing the rate of rotatory motion of the air in said vortex chamber.
 5. A carburetor for an internal combustion engine according to claim 3 wherein said passage connected to said air discharge nozzle is positioned to communicate with said airflow means upstream of said throttle valve.
 6. A carburetor for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 wherein said fuel discharge means includes at least one fuel discharge orifice communicatively connected through a conduit to a first fuel outlet of said proportional fluid amplifier, said orifice being positioned to discharge fuel into said vortex chamber from said amplifier to impart a tangential force to the air in said vortex chamber in the opposite direction for retarding the rotatory movement of the air in said chamber thereby valving the rate of enriched fuel-air mixture discharged from said chamber into said remaining portion of said airflow in said airflow means.
 7. A carburetor for an internal combustion engine according to claim 6 wherein said fuel discharge means comprises two fuel discharge orifices positioned in 180* relation with respect to each other.
 8. A carburetor for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 wherein said vortex device is positioned upstream of said venturi.
 9. A carburetor for an internal combustion engine according to claim 1 wherein said vortex device is positioned downstream of said throttle valve. 